I'll tell you what happened to my son in first grade. The class ended up being comprised of about 50% ESL children. There are a fair number in the school, but I guess due to random chance his class just had a disproportionate number. Anyhow, these kids did not learn much of anything from the non-ESL students. The children are not babies and they separate themselves from one another. In almost all social situations, in the classroom and elsewhere, the students congregate with those who come from the same socioeconomic, racial and cultural background. Even my son has been ostracized a bit because we aren't caucasian, but we do know English. I didn't have the luxury of being able to get a formal education, but through self-study I made sure that I had at least a decent grasp of the English language.
From what my son told me and from what I observed the teacher had to give so much attention to the ESL kids that she didn't have much time to give to the students who were already doing alright. Now when you talk to the parents of the Caucasian Americans the kids are almost always reading above or even well above grade level. Are all these kids gifted!? No, of course not. To think so is illogical and gives the caucasian kids a sense that they are on a superior level relative to the hispanic kids. I am very opposed to this message at very impressionable ages.
I don't want my son to have to leave the classroom for some challenge. He should be able to be in a regular classroom and get taught a higher level. The ESL students aren't happy to be in a regular classroom where they can immerse...The don't simply immerse, they drown in discouragement.
Last edited by connieculkins; 05/04/10 08:05 AM.
